When raising multilingual children, the demands of everyday life can cause us to lose sight of the reasons we initially chose to foster multilingualism in our family. Raising multilingual children is not always easy, but when approached with awareness, calm, and the right tools, it can be a rewarding journey full of concrete benefits.
In moments of doubt or fatigue, it can be helpful to recall the many advantages of multilingualism for our children, to reconnect with or strengthen the motivation behind this choice.
In this article, I’ll share why multilingualism is a precious gift we can give to our children, one that benefits both them and society as a whole.
1. Cognitive Benefits of Multilingualism, for Children and Grown-Ups Alike
The cognitive benefits of multilingualism, often referred to as “the Bilingual Advantage,” include:
- Improved memory
- Enhanced executive functions (the set of cognitive processes related to planning and behavioral control)
- A delayed onset of age-related cognitive decline, including conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s
Many researchers dedicate their careers to studying these effects, to better understand the cognitive advantages associated with multilingualism.
To use a simple analogy, we can think of multilingualism as a kind of mental workout that keeps our synapses flexible and active, from early childhood through to old age.
2. Empathy and Intercultural Awareness
Another major benefit of multilingualism is its role in developing empathy and inter- and multicultural awareness.
Being able to view the world from two or more linguistic and cultural perspectives makes it easier to step into someone else’s shoes. It fosters the understanding that our own viewpoint is not the only valid one.
This awareness is essential for building relationships and meaningful dialogue with people from diverse languages and cultures. It’s also a crucial skill for living peacefully in today’s interconnected and multicultural societies.
3. Emotional Bonds and Personal Identity
Finally, multilingual children must learn from an early age how to navigate multiple and complex identities.
When answering questions like “Who am I?” and “Where do I come from?”, having access to one’s cultural roots through language plays a fundamental role.
In the past, parents were often advised not to speak their home language, under the mistaken belief that it would hinder language development and integration. This often led to generational disconnection: parents and grandparents lacked strong skills in the community language, while children couldn’t communicate in the home language. The resulting misunderstandings and tensions weakened emotional bonds and created feelings of alienation and non-belonging.
Thankfully, there is now broader recognition of the positive value of maintaining a shared language that allows all family members to express themselves fully—intellectually and emotionally.
However, this theoretical recognition doesn’t always translate into practical support.
That’s why it’s so important to remember the emotional and relational value of a shared language within the family and to actively support it.
Which of These Benefits of Multilingualism Speaks to You?
The benefits I’ve described are real and well-documented.
Often, monolingual families who choose to introduce a second language, through a bilingual school or a nanny, for example, are most attracted to the cognitive benefits.
Sometimes, when schools implement support for multilingualism and foreign language learning, they highlight the social and cultural benefits, like empathy and intercultural understanding.
Other times, multilingual families who (like mine and perhaps yours, too) are spread across different parts of the world care most about maintaining communication across generations.
It’s possible that one particular benefit of multilingualism resonates with you more than the others.
I recommend focusing on that specific benefit and using it as your intentional motivation: a guiding light to return to during times of challenge or doubt.
If need expert guidance in creating and walking your family’s multilingual path with awareness and peace of mind, I’m always just an email away to support and guide you.
